Under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, the Government held a session to consider issues of railway industry development. Reports were delivered by Ministers of Transport Nurlan Sauranbayev, Industry and Construction Yersaiyn Nagaspayev, and Chairman of the Board of “Kazakhstan Temir Zholy” Talgat Aldybergenov. Akims of Mangystau, Aktobe, Atyrau, Karaganda regions, as well as Abay and Zhetisu regions, were also heard.

Olzhas Bektenov noted that the Head of State pays special attention to the development of the railway industry and infrastructure, which is of key importance for strengthening the country’s transport and logistics potential.

“The Head of State has defined strengthening the country’s railway framework as a task of paramount importance. Large-scale work is underway to build new railway lines, update the fleet of wagons and locomotives, modernize existing tracks, and reconstruct station facilities. On the instruction of the President, a number of major infrastructure projects are planned to be completed this year,” the Head of the Government emphasized.

Among the projects to be completed this year are the Darbaza–Maktaaral and Moyynty–Kyzylzhar railway lines. On the instruction of the Prime Minister, traffic on these lines will be launched in November and will allow transit traffic to grow to 55 million tons this year.

At the same time, the Government is not limiting itself to the projects being implemented and is beginning preparations for the next stage of railway infrastructure development. The Ministry of Transport, the “Samruk-Kazyna” Fund, and “Kazakhstan Temir Zholy” are to develop technical documentation and determine funding sources for promising infrastructure projects, taking into account the projected growth of cargo flows, transit traffic, and the long-term needs of the economy.

Special attention was paid to expanding interstate junctions and border crossing points as one of the measures to increase export and transit cargo transportation. In this regard, the Prime Minister instructed state bodies to constantly find joint solutions with railway administrations of neighboring countries.

The issue of timely completion of the modernization and reconstruction of railway stations was considered. On the instruction of the Prime Minister, akims will personally inspect the progress of works on a weekly basis, promptly resolve emerging issues, and ensure compliance with the schedule and quality of reconstruction. By July 1, 30 renovated stations should receive their first passengers, and by October 1, it is planned to complete works on the remaining facilities, with the exception of the restoration of the historic stations in Astana, Almaty, and Turkistan.

Following the meeting, the Head of the Government gave a number of instructions to state bodies and interested organizations:

First. In connection with the already defined plans to update the fleet of wagons and locomotives, the Prime Minister noted the need for further development of infrastructure, including through the expansion of the international terminal network aimed at redirecting cargo flows through the territory of Kazakhstan.

In this regard, the Ministry of Transport, together with “Kazakhstan Temir Zholy”, will complete the implementation of the terminal network in Astana, as well as in the foreign cities of Alat, Svisloch, and Selyatino by July 1, 2027. In addition, similar work will begin in Budapest, Chengdu, and Constanța to further increase the country’s transit potential.

Second. Olzhas Bektenov separately addressed passenger complaints about the condition of wagons and instructed the Ministry of Industry, together with “KTZ” and Stadler, to ensure the supply of passenger wagons in the shortest possible time while complying with all technical safety requirements.

By the end of this year, 215 new locomotives and about 1,500 freight and passenger wagons will enter the railway network. In addition, a five-year program for the purchase of 13,000 freight and 500 passenger wagons of domestic production will be approved by September 1.

Third. Digitalization and artificial intelligence are becoming key tools for the development of railway transport: leading countries use them for accurate train traffic planning, reducing downtime, and increasing network efficiency. In this regard, the Ministry of Transport, together with “Kazakhstan Temir Zholy”, was instructed to take measures by the end of the year to create a unified digital database that will allow managing the transport and logistics chain in real time.

The Ministry will also focus on improving the quality of service in railway transport, increasing transit traffic, and expanding export cargo flows. Decisions on the development of the industry will be made proactively, taking into account the long-term needs of Kazakhstan’s economy.

Overall coordination has been assigned to First Deputy Prime Minister Nurlibek Nalibayev.

#Olzhas Bektenov #The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan #Government session #Logistics #President's instruction #Transport

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